Alarm clocks and related timekeeping devices are widely used to ensure that a person is awakened at a particular time, or is alerted that a particular time has arrived. Many alarm clocks are noisy and abrupt and startle the user, while others such as clock radios wake the user to the more soothing sounds of music.
Within the crowded prior art area pertaining to alarm clocks, there are numerous alarm clocks which combine visual and auditory experience. These clocks have a visual element through which (or near which) the alarm sound is rendered, and the sound itself bears a close nexus to the visual element.
Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,640 displays a cartoon character and renders and alarm in a voice that the hearer would recognize to be that of the associated character. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,841, the illustrated character is the well-known “Mickey Mouse.” U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,284 employs an “animal standing atop a base,” and the animal illustrated is that of a rooster. The alarm sound from this would be the familiar “cock-a-doodle-doo” sound that a rooster makes at daybreak to awake those residing on a farm, and it is pointed out that other animal, such as elephants and crickets, might also be considered. (See generally, column 1, line 41 through column 2, line 7.) U.S. Pat. No. D442,871 is for a talking cowboy.
Other patents disclose, not a character and an associated voice, but a particular musical instrument and the music that such an instrument would make. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,410 illustrates an alarm clock where the visual element is a bugle, and the associated alarm sound is that of the musical score “Reveille” which is sounded by a bugle to awaken military personnel. So too, U.S. Pat. No. D441,300 shows what appears to be a trumpet.
Other patents disclose a visual element comprising certain non-musical objects, in association with the sound made by those objects. A train passing in the night is a primordial sort of sound, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,226,021; 5,311,488; and 5,506,819 all disclose a visual element comprising a model train, and the alarm sounds, of course, replicate those made by a passing train, complete with (for U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,021) smoke/steam to add to the visual experience. In the same vein, U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,672; and U.S. Pat. No. D378,277 disclose a visual element which is a fishing reel, with an alarm sound that simulates the sound of a fishing reel being wound to pull in a fish. And for casino-goers, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,009,048; 6,657,923; and 2003/0035346 comprise a slot machine, with the associated sound being that of the bells and whistles that one hears when one has “hit the jackpot.”
Other patents of background interest which employ a pre-recorded alarm include U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,700; U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,270 which plays several musical melodies.
Despite the wide variety of alarm clocks known in the art which associate the visual with the auditory, these does not appear to be any sort of clock which creates for the user the religious experience of seeing and hearing the sound blasts (“shofar calls”) of the Jewish shofar.
According to http://www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us/antiqua/shofar.htm: “Of martial origin, the shofar was a priestly instrument in Biblical times . . . . Apart from its liturgical uses the shofar was closely connected with magical symbolism. Its blast destroyed the walls of Jericho, and in the Dead Sea scrolls we read that during battles shofar blowers sounded a powerful war cry to instill fear into the hearts of the enemy while priests blew the six trumpets of killing. Historically the shofar has also served in a number of popular usages: it was sounded during rites to bring rain, in the event of local disasters, and so on. In our times its liturgical use is restricted to New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).” To those of Jewish faith, these are the holiest times of the year.
The shofar is customarily fabricated from the horn of a ram, to signify the ram that God gave to Abraham for sacrifice in place of Isaac.
The shofar, as it is sounded, defines a peak moment of religious experience, and is a call to its hearers to awaken to the voice of God. It cuts through the day to day events of life and is call to and a reminder of the divine. Thus, a shofar, simulated in the form of an alarm clock or related timekeeping apparatus, reminds the user each time the device sounds to awaken to God. Other messages have also been associated with the shofar include: revelation, redemption, freedom, rest. repentance, creation, giving of the Torah, the words of the prophets, destruction of the Temple, the binding of Isaac, fear of God, day of judgment, the promised land of Israel, and resurrection.
These are messages and feelings which are not communicated by any of the prior art, which merely entertains the user with a cartoon character, jolts the user with the military discipline of the Reveille call, sounds a train whistle, causes the user to think about going fishing, or summons the user to the gambling casino.
At http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-webhosting.com/shofar.htm, it is stated that “the Shofar has four basic calls that have been handed down throughout the ages. These terms can be found in the scriptures at various points. The sequence we know today has been handed down as a tradition. There where probably other calls as well, but they have apparently become lost. The names of the calls and description are as follows:
Tekiah—A Single medium length blast. Low-to-high pitch transition. Hard short push on low pitch, slight sustain on high pitch sometimes ended with a short pushing higher pitch burst.
Shevarim—Three blasts each low-to-high pitch sounded like triplets, think of Shevarim as being three short Tekiahs without the short burst on the ends.
Teruah—Teruah consists of rapid single second pitch bursts in a staccato fashion. There should be nine or more bursts for make a Teruah.
Tekiah G'dollah—Similar to Tekiah, only the high note is sustained for the longest possible breath. Also ended with a violent short pushed out breath of an even higher pitched note.”
Also sounded is a sequenced combination of Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, ending with a Tekiah G'dollah, see and http://www.piney.com/Shofar.html.
At the end of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the following sequence is often used. First, three repetitions of Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, Tekiah. Next, three repetitions of Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah. Then, three repetitions of Tekiah Teruah, Tekiah. Sometimes, the number of the repetitions may be varied. Tekiah G'dollah is often a final blast at the end of a shofar call.
It would be desirable to provide a more inspirational sort of timekeeping device, system and method which calls the user away from mundane and material pursuits like fishing and gambling and waking to drills in military boot camp, toward the voice of God.